Patna, Jan 11 (IANS): Rats and liquor have no connection, whatsoever. However, an ingenious liquor smuggler in Bihar's Gopalganj district tried to ward off queries from excise officials by telling them that a hole at his village home was dug by a rat, but failed to convince the hawk-eyed officials who seized 50 bottles of IMLF from there.

Gopalganj Excise Superintendent Rakesh Kumar said that the department had received secret information about illegal liquor trade run by accused Manoj Kumar from his house in Manjhagarh Sheikh Toli village on the Bihar-Uttar Pradesh border.

"A joint team of excise and police officials raided Manoj's house on Sunday evening. But much to their surprise, no liquor bottle was found during a search at his house. However, an alert official spotted a small hole in the mud floor within the premises. When asked, Manoj maintained that it was merely a rat hole," Rakesh Kumar said.

"Our team was not satisfied with his reply and dug up the area. As mud and bricks were removed from near the hole opening, we found a stash of liquor bottles. The accused Manoj has made a cavity in the floor to hide the contraband," the official added.

"We seized 28 pints of 375 ml each and 23 nips of 180 ml each and arrested him under the Prohibition of Liquor Act. Further investigation is underway to arrest his accomplices," he said.

Manoj confessed that he had smuggled liquor from adjoining districts of Uttar Pradesh.

The sale and consumption of liquor was banned in Bihar nearly five years ago by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, but its smuggling and sale continues in Bihar.